“We’re expecting this Labor Day weekend to be very similar to what we normally incur,” said Dave Collett, Western Region Operations Manager for Virginia State Parks. “We're almost at a 100% capacity on our overnight, or camping and cabins.”
Numbers are a bit down from pandemic highs of 2020 Collett said, but they’re still high.
Parks are also not immune to the staffing shortages seen across industries during the pandemic. Collett said the parks have had to adapt to that by reducing schedules and offerings, notably lifeguards in swimming areas. A lifeguard shortage has been seen in other areas of Virginia also.
Visitors to parks can encounter migratory birds this part of the season, and park-goers on the Eastern Shore are likely to see hawks. Kiptopeke State Park has an observation tower set up for hawks.
“There’s also tremendous amount of late wildflowers,” Collett said, which are part of efforts to increase pollinators in the state. He listed Goldenrod, Purple Ironweed, and Fleabane among the wildflowers in open areas of state parks.
These golds, whites and purples coincide with a peak over the holidays. Then there’s a lull until the fall colors bring crowds.
“September is a little bit of a lull,” Collett said. “Then we peak again as fall color comes back into the scene in October.”
Virginia opened two state parks this year, Clinch River State Park in southwest Virginia, and Machicomoco State Park on the Middle Peninsula.
Collett recommends getting to parks early, and maybe visiting on weekdays to avoid crowds.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
